essay about nail art

How Nail Art Became Beauty’s Biggest Trend

If art holds up a mirror to culture, then nail art does the same, albeit on a tiny canvas

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“On sets back then, they wanted plain nails—beige, sheer pink, or clear,” Thompson says. “All she had were little short nails! So I went into my wallet, took money out, cut it up, and did a French manicure.” The result, now known as money nails, became a defining moment in the history of hip-hop and beauty. The look went viral before the internet did, garnering the attention of the Treasury, which reminded Thompson that defacing dollar bills was illegal. “Fast-forward nearly 20 years and I get a call from MoMA,” she says. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think anything I did would be in a museum with Picasso and Basquiat.”

In the decades since, scandalous, glamorous, and even more over-the-top manicures have taken on a life of their own. You’ve probably seen takes on crystal “extendo” nails, epitomized by Jenny Bui’s work with her longtime client Cardi B , at your local grocery store. Your neighborhood nail salon is likely inundated with requests for “glazed doughnut” and chrome nails, thanks to Zola Ganzorigt’s work with Hailey Bieber . It wasn’t always like this.

Nail art has been around since ancient Egypt, when members of the upper class dyed their nails with henna. During the Tang dynasty in China, imperial concubines had their own exclusive process based on crushing flowers for the required pigments. Polished nails set you apart from the masses. An elaborate set means at least that much today, as a professional manicure can take several hours and cost a pretty penny.

What’s always been true is that our nails are a vehicle to express who we are or who we want to be. The 1950s saw the invention of the first acrylic sets. Two decades later, bold nails became a beloved form of cultural expression in Black and brown communities, long before they were ever spotted on a runway. It wasn’t long before extravagant nails were deemed distracting and unprofessional—a racist dog whistle. In 1988, the Chicago Tribune called Olympic medalist Florence Griffith Joyner’s famous manicures “dragon-lady fingernails” that looked “both dangerous and incapacitating”; she didn’t keep her nails short and neutral, making her a deviant compared with her white competitors. Now, an elaborate manicure is often a good-luck charm for Olympic athletes.

The “dragon-lady fingernails” moment was also a pointed insult stemming from Asian stereotypes: Both Black and Asian cultures have been the leaders of nail art around the world, with Japan and South Korea pioneering innovative nail technology and launching top artists for decades. Artists like Park Eunkyung, who goes by @nail_unistella on Instagram, have popularized more trends than I can count.

The work of Thompson, Bui, Park, Gina Edwards , Miss Pop , and Mei Kawajiri , among so many others, has helped usher in a new golden age of nail art—one in which the unique perspectives of artists from a range of backgrounds and experiences that cut across class, race, and gender are celebrated.

This collective love for nail art has resulted in an explosion of global talent. Rita de Alencar Pinto, the founder of Vanity Projects, a salon with locations in New York and Miami, hosts nail artists in residence from around the world because she treats them as artists first. “I was able to reach out to top artists through Tumblr and offer them job opportunities and a residency program,” she says. “We started with pop-ups during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2012 and moved on to museums—and now the artists in my salons are the best of the best.”

Still, nail artists have had to advocate for their work to be considered part of a runway look. “In the ’90s, nail brands weren’t a factor backstage at all,” says Edwards, who recently created four designs for Prabal Gurung’s Fall 2023 show. “People would say nails weren’t that important. It made you feel so inadequate! But more designers appreciate us now because they realize it’s part of the look.” She remembers going from her work being dismissed in those early years to spending hours per manicure making 3-D acrylic butterflies for the Alice + Olivia Fall 2019 show. “The wings were made separately from the body. It looked like it was lifting off the nail,” she says. Nail art is sometimes so essential to a runway moment that designers hand off fabrics and trims from the collection to the nail artists to incorporate into the manicures, like when Edwards added the chandelier crystals from Pyer Moss’s 2021 couture show to the nails. Now a staple at fashion weeks, nail art in all forms has infiltrated high fashion, red carpets, and, undoubtedly, your TikTok algorithm.

The pandemic’s DIY boom pushed our hunger for tutorials and nail content even further. “People doing their own nails is definitely a trend,” says Kawajiri. Born in Japan but now based in New York, she specializes in maximalist nails, works with clients like Dua Lipa, and is considered one of the most influential manicure tastemakers of our current era. Kawajiri credits social media for today’s anything-goes manicures. “Nail trends are always changing because of TikTok. Lengths and shapes are all different, and it’s more genderless; everyone can have art, extensions, and you can even have different lengths on the same hand,” she says. “You can play with confidence and without fear of judgment. Nail culture has more freedom now!”

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A Black woman’s ode to nail art

Growing up, I loved going to the nail salon. I was enchanted with the tiny bottles of polish that created a rainbow on the wall. I couldn't stop flipping through the booklets of gel nail polish extension options, or the intricate airbrushed designs my mother would never allow me to get. (To be fair, I was nine and had no business with Winnie the Pooh characters on my tiny child fingers.)

Instead, the only options my mom would allow were the soft baby pink of Essie’s “Ballet Slippers” with a small flower design on the ring finger, or a simple French manicure. Though it took until my teens for her to open up to the idea of adding more razzle dazzle, I do remember the exact day I was finally allowed...color. OPI’s “Lincoln Park After Dark” became my favorite polish during my teens and twenties. The dark purple? It perfectly matched my emo tendencies. 

Being raised in New York, which has the second biggest selection of nail salons in the US, meant nail salons always felt like home. I could always count on being able to swing by any neighborhood in Brooklyn and Queens and find a shop where multiple languages were spoken between the sound of nail filing and the scent of rubbing alcohol. From shimmers to mattes, customers would walk into a shop with nubby, barely-there nails and leave with claws wrapped in minuscule jewels or designs inspired by Olympic track star Flo-Jo .

My go-to salon, however, was a small shop in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx in New York City. There, the women with full-time day jobs that opted for the longest acrylics always had my attention. They were always so glamorous, confident and cool. These women were my sisters, aunties, and cousins.

The nail salon, like the hair salon, is a sacred space for many women, but especially for Black women. However, only 2% of nail salon workers are Black, according to a 2018 study done by the UCLA Labor Center . One of those technicians is Diana Sabio, also known as Dee — or Digits by Dee on Instagram, where she shares her nail art catalog.

A fellow native New Yorker, I've been going to Dee for almost four years now. She's been working in the beauty space for 10 years, after starting as an assistant to her makeup artist uncle at 16. He was the one, she says, who inspired her to attend cosmetology school. By 19, she was working in salons.

“I always had a soft spot for nails, because I found myself itching to go home and add on the art they weren’t able to do at the salon," says Dee. “This was when YouTubers like Cute Polish were putting their tutorials on the internet.  I was also heavily influenced by Fruits magazine and the Gyaru and Hime nail trends . I was always disappointed that I couldn’t find anyone here in NYC to do that style of art.” 

My journey to find Dee was a long one. Once I got to college, I was usually doing my own nails, stealing whatever nail polish my mother had lying around or borrowing my roommate's. I was a lot less experimental back then, still too afraid to try acrylics or longer styles. Occasionally I'd go to a salon when I wanted to truly pamper myself, but being in my 20s and extremely frugal, that was not always an option. I was already paying to get curly cuts, highlights, and eyebrows done, and more, another service may have bankrupted me.

By finally, by 2019, I was ready to find a regular nail shop. I would try out different friends' suggestions, which were all fine but never exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to do more interesting designs, but hadn't really had the language for it yet. Still, I was enjoying getting manicures as regularly as my budget would allow me...and then, COVID hit. Like most of us, during the pandemic I was doing my own nails and trying to play around with color as much as possible. But here's the thing: I love to paint but never picked up the skill on my own nails.

So I decided to try out a shop in my Crown Heights, Brooklyn neighborhood: Marché . The Black-owned shop is a cultural concept shop and nail salon that's also attached to a restaurant I frequent. Marché was known for doing abstract nail art. Once it was safe enough to head back to the salon, I decided to finally book an appointment with a technician named Dee.

What started as a small way to find some normalcy in the pandemic became a space for me to tap into my own creativity. I consider my sessions with Dee to be mini collaborations: I show her my inspirations, then we work together to make art. My monthly trek to the nail salon feels like home. Every four to five weeks, I get to sit for three to four hours and be the women I used to look up to at the shop, while spending time with an incredible artist.

"What I love most about doing nails is seeing the boost of confidence my art gives the wearer," Dee says. "I always like to say I don’t just hold hands, I hold space. Because we need to have beauty spaces where we can show up as ourselves and be lifted for who we are, and not what we aren’t."

As a young girl, I wanted to paint my nails red, wear pink lipstick, and wear platform boots like Scary Spice, but I was never allowed by my mom. Now as an adult, I understand that being the Black daughter of a Black mother, the reason she limited me to pretty pastels and French manicures was because she was trying to protect me from the outside world. Red polish, she thought, could signal that I was “fast.”

“As a Black woman, I’ve always been hyper-aware of how our self-expression is policed. Often we’re expected to show up as how society will tolerate us and not how we feel most in touch with ourselves,” Dee says.

“Nails have always been a subtle way to assert your style, whereas hair and makeup carry a lot more weight on people’s first impressions," she continues. "It’s important for me as a nail artist to hold tight and continue the legacy of the bold tastemakers before me who decided to try something new despite the possibility of not being accepted."

Like many young Black girls, I could not always explore outside the ridged stereotypes that society has placed on us. So often we either shrink ourselves...or we become louder.

My visits with Dee have become a monthly ritual where I wrap my nails in all the shades I can possibly ask for. My hands are sometimes dripping in charms, gold chrome, or seashells. Ombre, airbrushed, negative spaced designs — you name it, I've tried it. Now, I'm adorned like the femmes before and after me: Diana Ross, Flo Jo, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion.

It took me a decade, but I found my voice — and I've chosen to become louder.

Bianca Clendenin is a the Senior Social Media Editor here at TODAY. Prior to her time here at TODAY she was curating and producing social media storytelling for  The New York Times ,  City Limits ,  NowThis  and  Al Jazeera America , with a main focus on millennial and gen-z stories. The New York native has also written for Medium’s  Zora ,  NBCNews Think ,  NowThis , and  Thrillist .

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From ancient Egypt to Cardi B: a cultural history of the manicure

Nail art dates back millennia, taking in complex social codes, cultural appropriation, modern slavery and the sexism of lockdown rules for beauty salons

“How to Take a Nail Selfie!” “Fruity Manicure Inspo!” “Kylie Jenner Slammed by Fans for Nearly Poking Out Stormi’s Eyes With Ridiculous Claw Nails.”

The glut of hyperbolic nail-related headlines online points to our obsession with the endless possibilities open to the plate at the top of our fingers. In the internet age, the manicure, in all its incarnations, is a traffic winner. It peppers a plethora of Pinterest boards; the hashtag #nails has been posted 151m times on Instagram; nail artists are stars in their own right; and countless women will assert that manicures are a form of self-care. Detractors dismiss it all as frivolity.

When the pandemic hit, online musings about manicures became less about beautification. Rather, there was a sudden, stark realisation that the colouring, decorating and embellishing of fingernails is, for many, not simply a preoccupation but an occupation. From the social media furore provoked by a New York Times article questioning the future of the nail industry in an age of social distancing to the accusation of misogyny levelled at Boris Johnson for refusing to consider beauty businesses in the government’s lockdown exit plans, the innocuous manicure suddenly entered a quagmire of controversy.

A closer look, however, reveals that this is nothing new: cuticle culture has long been entangled in highly charged matters, from classism and racial discrimination to politics and human rights issues.

The genesis of the manicure cannot be attributed to one culture. Archeologists discovered Egyptian mummies (dating to 5,000 BC) with gilded nails and henna-tinted fingertips. Around the same time, Indian women were staining their nails with henna, while ancient Babylonian men used kohl to colour their nails.

According to Nails: The History of the Modern Manicure, archaeologists unearthed a solid gold manicure set in southern Babylonia, dating to 3,200 BC, that was apparently part of combat equipment. Given that manicures are now considered – and regularly derided – as a female pastime, this gives the term “war paint” a whole new meaning.

The Chinese are often credited with creating the first “nail polish”, in 3,000 BC. Women soaked their nails in a combination of egg whites, gelatine, beeswax and dyes from flower petals; roses and orchids were the most popular. The result was shiny nails tinted reddish pink. Long, coloured talons – usually worn with highly decorative nail guards created with hammered brass sheets inlaid with semi-precious stones – were an indication of wealth and social status. The assumption was that you could not possibly have such nails if you were of a lower class. Field work and 15cm talons do not coexist well.

The social significance of red nails has been a constant through the ages. They have been reserved for the elite, highlighting nail beds and social inequalities. Members of the Ming dynasty sported crimson nails with lengthy extensions, while the Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra were famed for wearing red nails: lower-ranking citizens were forbidden from wearing anything but pale shades. That is striking now, considering how much understated hues – with the notable example of the classic French manicure, which was created in 1975 by the American Jeff Pink, the president of Orly Nails – have been associated with the elite social circles of Wasps and Chelsea-ites. (That said, the style later became popular with the Essex set and once again frowned upon.)

What the French – specifically the makeup artist Michelle Menard – can be credited with, however, is introducing a glossy nail polish in the 20s using car paint, although it was available only to a limited few. That changed in 1932 when Revlon launched what we now know as nail polish and opened this aspect of manicuring to the masses. The popularity of nail colour continued for decades, even in times of economic instability, when it was considered an affordable and justifiable luxury. Some shades, such as Chanel’s Rouge Noir, became famous. In 1995, this dried-blood hue, popularised by Uma Thurman’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction , sold out on the first day it launched. The hype created a 12-month waiting list; it is still Chanel’s bestselling product.

The ritual of having one’s nails painted by a professional was largely the preserve of the wealthy until the rise of the nail bar. Thea Green, the founder of Nails Inc, was instrumental in bringing nail bars to the UK. “My lightbulb moment came on a work trip to New York, where I noticed nail bars offering quick, cheap manicures for busy professionals. I was a 23-year-old fashion editor at Tatler at the time – but I knew there was a gap in the market here, so I went for it,” she told Management Today. She opened her first nail bar in 1999, quickly expanded across the country. More recently, she launched a “clean” nail polish range.

While Green was about taking the speedy nail bar to customers with a penchant for a classic manicure, the beauty entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid created a movement for a nail tribe looking for something more avant garde. In 2009, she launched Wah Nails in Dalston, east London. This edgy manicure bar specialised in nail art – an antidote to the safe and well-mannered manicures that were all the rage, and a style that was steeped in black culture and Reid’s passion for hip-hop culture .

Lil Kim's money manicure is in the Museum of Modern Art https://t.co/Qga5J8mP9V pic.twitter.com/9Sm7ZAb1dH — Jezebel (@Jezebel) November 15, 2017

It was an immediate hit with the super-cool fashion crowd. Around this time, I met an influential stylist, who was white, in east London. The first thing I noticed were her nails – bright, blinging nail art that I knew to be the mainstay of rap stars such as Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim (the money manicure ) and Jamaica-born women, be it on the streets of Brixton, where I lived, or on the dancehall scene where girls whined on their heads to Shabba Ranks. My feeling was a hybrid of bemusement, despair and rage at seeing a trend so often deemed vulgar, ghetto and unrefined when worn by black women confidently sported by a white woman as though she were a trailblazer. It highlighted, once again, that things born from black culture are rarely deemed acceptable unless repackaged in whiteness.

Nail art, of sorts, was popular in the 30s, when Joan Crawford wore the era’s popular crescent moon style , around the same time that Life magazine ran a piece on monogrammed nails. But it was black women who would be at the helm of nail art’s modern cultural resurgence. They gave it new life, from Donyale Luna, the first woman of colour to appear on the cover of US Vogue, and the singer Glodean White , the wife of the late soul crooner Barry White, to to exemplars in the 80s and 90s such as Coko from SWV and Janet Jackson in the futuristic Busta Rhymes video for What’s it Gonna Be?!, where she sported hoop-pierced acrylic nails.

These performers helped to create a look – bejewelled, flamboyant and over the top – that felt like black women pushing back against Eurocentric expectations that they should shrink from prominence. Instead, black women were creating their own language around what was beautiful. It’s no coincidence that US gymnast Nia Dennis wore long, tapered talons to perform a routine , which went viral this week, and was lauded for introducing elements of black culture into a traditionally Eurocentric sport.

Black women have been repeatedly stigmatised for nail art. In, 2016, for example, Nikole Hannah-Jones, the New York Times writer, had the validity of her employment questioned by an esteemed white writer at a media conference. She was then asked by him whether she would be off to get her nails done . Meanwhile, the American three-time gold-winning Olympic athlete Florence Griffith Joyner , whose record as the world’s fastest woman still stands, found her achievements constantly overshadowed by the media’s obsession with – and covert repulsion at – her jewelled acrylic nails. And yet, in 2020, it is Kylie Jenner who is routinely credited and celebrated for the trend.

Today, nail art is not an unusual sight – even mainstream salons in posh areas offer this service – as do nail bars run by people of Vietnamese origin. Some nail bars – now present on every high street – offer a manicure for as little as £10, making them immensely popular; an indulgence accessible to all. Surely this is inclusivity at its best?

Alas, “cheap luxury” is not only an oxymoron; it also has a sinister side. Many reports, such as one in 2017 by Kevin Hyland, then the UK’s anti-slavery commissioner , show the shocking links between nail bars and human trafficking. Nail bars are an easy way to hide victims in plain sight , because the nail industry is completely unregulated. Many nail bars bring vulnerable, usually undocumented men and women into the country and force them to work. The shocking deaths of 39 Vietnamese people in a lorry in October 2019 – many of whom were trafficked to work in nail bars – reignited calls to tackle exploitation in the industry. In November, the lack of regulation in the industry led Marian Newman – the manicurist on the film OG, who has worked on some of the biggest fashion shows and campaigns – to launch the Federation of Nail Professionals. The hope is to represent the industry at government level and raise standards across the sector in order to minimise and eventually eradicate unethical working practices.

Doing so would also benefit the legitimate nail bars run by people of south-east Asian origin, many of whom have told me that they have experienced a decline in footfall, compared with their white counterparts, since Covid hit, even before the first lockdown. In the US, the xenophobic rhetoric employed by figures such as Donald Trump legitimised anti-Asian sentiment. It also gave licence to the likes of Tik Toker Amy Shark to mock Vietnamese nail bar workers – a misjudged act of racism dressed up as comedy for which she later apologised.

Teyana Taylor Opens '90s-Themed Nail Salon, Missy Elliot & LiL Kim Show Support #TeyanaTaylor https://t.co/wz3NENvNSU pic.twitter.com/ddYwNRy2t7 — All Black Media (@allblackmedia) February 16, 2018

The scale of the pandemic threatens the entire beauty industry. The London-based Local Data Company reported at the end of 2020 that, since last March, 4,578 beauty services businesses in Britain have gone out of business. The startling impact of Covid is perhaps why articles predicting the end of the manicure draw such ire. When, after the first lockdown, the government permitted barbers to reopen, but not beauty services such as nail bars – a move widely criticised as sexist – Caroline Hirons, the aesthetician and key influencer, set up Beauty Backed. This initiative, in conjunction with the British Beauty Council, is raising money for the out-of-work beauty professionals who did not qualify for government support. A change.org petition lobbying the prime minister to reopen the beauty industry was signed by nearly 30,000 people . The government finally relented.

We are now in another lockdown and, once again, nail technicians – like so many others – are out of work. Many have switched to holding virtual masterclasses and collaborating with brands on social media. If anything, it feels as if, through its absence, the love for the manicure has intensified.

This is unsurprising. There is a reason why artists such as Chaun Legend (whose clients include Kylie Jenner and Cardi B), Mei Kawajiri (named one of the 2019 New Wave Creatives at the British Fashion awards) and Betina Goldstein (responsible for the talons of Zoë Kravitz, Florence Pugh and Gemma Chan ) are known as “nail artists”. And there is a reason why nail salons such as DryBy (responsible for the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding manicure), the uber-cool Camberwell-based Reecey Roo and Ama Nails, the Brixton salon led by British Vogue favourite Ama Quashie, are making waves in the industry. Under their watch, manicure has been elevated to an art form.

Beyond the obvious talent and creativity it nurtures, it forms part of a beauty economy that generates £30bn for the UK economy every year. So, for all the exaggerated, seemingly facile, traffic-driving nail-related headlines, to dismiss the manicure as frivolity would be foolish. But neither can it be detached from race, culture, class or gender. This intersection guarantees not only that manicures will remain political, but also that they will continue to exist, in some form, long after the pandemic ceases.

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The Art of Nail Art: Designs, Challenge & Creativity

No canvas is too small to express your creativity, which is why some artists have turned their attention to their nails as a medium upon which they unleash their art. This story of nail art is a story brimming with creativity, challenges, unique designs and innovation. That’s why today, we’ll be focusing on Nail Art – how it all started and what helped make it the mainstream art form we know today!

While nail art has been around for a while, it is at the turn of the new millennium that it really gained traction and  gained attention as well as mainstream press coverage. With social media in creasingly dictating trend s , nail art has become a vital part of the fashion and cosmetics industry. Its popularity grows each year , making appearances everywhere from Instagram to YouTube and Pinterest ; y ou can now follow the frontrunner’s creative mind s by watching intricate design tutorials to get inspired.   

When and where did nail art originate from? This remains unclear, and can’t be pinpointed to a single moment in time, and it seems that interest in nail art sprouted almost overnight in countries across the globe. Egypt is one such plac e – w omen would dye their nail s using orange dye derived from henna, to showcase their social status and amplify their seductive powers . W hile upper-class women would wear bright er and deep er sha des , lower-class women would sport  more neutral and pastel shades. In the same era, in China, early form s of nail polish w ere composed of beeswax, egg whites, gelatines and vegetable dyes . To “apply” it, one would dip their nails in the mixture and wait up to several hours till it set – a far cry from today’s instant Shellac! One will never know how many manicures and distinctive designs have been ruined by our impatience . Later , during the Zhou Dynasty, a more simple but more telling form of nail polish appear ed, which used silver and gold dust to mark one’s social status.   

If you think that particularly long nails are a new trend, think again. It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi , who ruled  China from 1835 to 1908, even had nail guards to protect her 6 inches long nails.     

As for nail art, as we know it today, it seems that it first appeared during the Inca Empire , with eagles’ painting s on nails. Modern manicure s made their entry into the world in the early 1800s, but it took another 100 years before the first liquid nail polish was invented. At first, it was colourless, then quickly a variety of colours appeared on the market. The progress and advancement in nail polish technology have  kept evolving since. Still, painting one’s nails has well and truly become the cornerstone of fashion s ince the 1980s , with the trend continuing to grow since It even made it to t he silver screen , through a documentary tit led Nailgasm in 2012.    

A quick search on your favourite search engine will yield millions of results and showcase everything and anything from nail trends to video s on creating nail art at home. Pinterest also showcases more than 900 ideas and patterns  you can replicate. From nail polish brand s to compilations videos or magazine articles – this is a truly fascinating, rich, and creative world.   

This article wouldn’t be complete without a shoutout to some of our creative adopters who are painting the world in all sorts of c olou r s , one nail at the time .   

Manila Girl Nails

Her work can be appreciated on her .art website manilagirlnail.art or Instagram @manilagirlnails .   

Telly Talons

You can check out more nail art on Chantel Imani’s .art website tellytalons.art or Instagram @tellytalons.  

The Sacred Nail

Visit her website sacrednail.art to find more about her universe and find her under @the.sacred.nail.art on Instagram.  

ABOUT THIS SECTION   

.ART Domains are dedicated to connecting, empowering, and supporting our vibrant community. We care about fostering a sense of belonging to the art world, and this new section celebrates creators that have recently joined.ART . This is our way to give back and shine a light on the work of amazing creatives, especially in these testing times! If you would like to be featured, please have a look at our submission guidelines here .    

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

How Next-Level Nails Became this Season’s Must-Have Accessory

By Maya Singer

Photography by Valentin Herfray

Styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson

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“God, my thumb looks boring, ” I thought as I scrolled Instagram late one recent winter evening, disappearing down a nail-art rabbit hole. For years I’d been loyal to the same polish, a hue so neutral it blends into my skin like foundation, and yet, driven back inside (and back insane) by omicron, I suddenly found myself lusting over photos of costume designer Miyako Bellizzi’s ombré talons. They were ultra-long and coffin-shaped—not to be confused with the “almond” tips, or “tapered squares” I discovered as I scanned captions elsewhere. I may as well have been on Duolingo; I was learning a whole new language. Returning to Bellizzi’s feed, I wondered: Can she order an Uber with those things on? How does she floss? And, also: Do I dare?

I did not dare, not at first. I was social distancing, after all, and spicing up my fingers didn’t strike me as “essential.” Instead, I daydreamed about outré nails—the ones London-based artist Sylvie Macmillan devised for the spring/summer 2022 Dries Van Noten show , imitating the collection’s fabric on elongated fingertips; the jeweled, anime-inspired stiletto-shaped tips Los Angeles–based Coca Michelle creates for Megan Thee Stallion. I watched nail-art tutorials on TikTok. I devoured the nail news from the couture runways—the Dracula-inspired claws dangling off models’ hands at Viktor & Rolf , and the flesh-toned daggers on view at Glenn Martens’s Jean Paul Gaultier debut . Venturing back outside, I was struck by how many New York City storefronts that had been emptied out during the pandemic were now filled by salons offering Japanese-style nail art. Apparently, I’m far from alone in gravitating toward nails as the ornament du jour.

BOLD TYPES Akech wears a Paco Rabanne top and skirt; modaoperandi.com. Heaven necklace. Rings from Panconesi, Panconesi x Knwls, and Marine Serre. Model Bella Hadid wears a Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project dress; yproject.fr. Versace mini bag. Bottega Veneta earrings. Marine Serre necklace. Rings from Swarovski, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and Jupiter. Manicure on Akech by Mei Kawajiri; manicure on Hadid by Natalie Pavloski.

CHAIN REACTION Between the grungy nails and glitzy hardware, Akech is making all the right connections. Gucci bra top; gucci.com. Tom Ford minaudière. Givenchy ear cuff. Messika earring. Rings from Hannah Jewett, Tiffany & Co., and Steff Eleoff. Manicure by Sylvie Macmillan.

For Brooklyn-bred nail pioneer Honey , they’ve never not been a thing. “Girl, I grew up going to the nail salon,” she tells me with a shrug as she rifles through pots of glitter at her petite, appointment-only studio near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As she points out, for many women of color, long ornate nails are nothing new. Years before she was getting name-dropped as one of the fashion industry’s most innovative nail techs, Honey was tagging along with her mother on her weekly pilgrimages to their local East Flatbush salon. “That’s where all the ladies in the neighborhood hung out, getting their sets done. And just, talking about everything,” she recalls.

“What we’re seeing today is the cross-pollination of several developments,” explains Suzanne E. Shapiro, a New York–based fashion historian and the author of Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure. “On the one hand—no pun intended—there’s the ongoing mainstreaming of hip-hop aesthetics and the rise of celebrity culture, with people like Cardi B emerging as ambassadors for the maximal nail. And on the other, there are these huge innovations in nail technology, mostly coming out of Asia,” continues Shapiro, that have eased the process of obtaining extended, embellished nails like the ones Flo-Jo made internationally famous at the 1988 Olympics. One such advance is the Aprés Gel-X extension , which has awakened new possibilities for the form, according to New York–based nail artist Mei Kawajiri . “You can fit them to any nail, and they’re just not as hard to work with as acrylics,” she notes of the thin, malleable tips developed in Japan. Similar to the gel that’s in polish, it’s quick to apply and soaks off without much fuss—one reason, Kawajiri says, that “with the Aprés, it’s more like, you can play.”

APPLE OF YOUR EYE Hadid shows off her table manners—and a charming Roger Vivier purse—in a Chanel dress; select Chanel boutiques. Sandals by Versace by Fendi. Rings from Anabela Chan, Munnu The Gem Palace, Tiffany & Co., and Irene Neuwirth. Manicure by Mei Kawajiri.

Playful is certainly one way to describe Kawajiri’s exuberant nail-art style, which she workshopped while doing late-night manicures for girls heading out to clubs when she was just starting out in Tokyo; soon after moving to New York in 2012, she began posting her elaborate designs on Instagram. Today, more than 300,000 fans track her work online marveling at the surreal, bubble-dappled surfaces she creates for regular clients such as designer Marc Jacobs, both Bella and Gigi Hadid, playwright Jeremy O. Harris, and Spanish pop star/nail icon Rosalía. There’s a genuine shock of the new, which has undoubtedly helped hook a new generation of aficionados.

“My students are so passionate about nails. They see it as a vital form of self-expression,” says Meloney Moore, associate chair of the Business of Beauty and Fragrance program at the Savannah College of Art and Design. “For them, an art nail is a statement piece—like jewelry, or a bold accessory. It’s not just about getting a manicure,” continues Moore, who connected me with Harry Clay, one of her students and a case in point. “I was a terrible nail-biter,” explains the 21-year-old, who grew up in Bronxville, New York. “And then, in my junior year of high school, I found this salon, @Artnailnyc, on Instagram, and I thought, If I pay for someone’s artwork, I won’t want to damage it on my nails.”

FOCAL POINTS Stop right now, thank you very much, and note this high-shine combination of textures, tones—and attitude. Versace top and skirt; versace.com. Dior micro bag. Bottega Veneta earrings. Rings from Bulgari, Dior, and Notte. Manicure by Mei Kawajiri.

SAGE ADVICE Gucci top; gucci.com. Hermès mini bag. Manicure by Sylvie Macmillan. 

Moore likens this moment to the Roaring Twenties, another era when—after enduring a long pandemic (not to mention a world war)—the vibe was, as she puts it, “anything goes.” “The showiness, the flouting of norms, it’s all similar to what was happening 100 years ago,” she says. “People are tired of being locked up—in all senses.” I can testify to that—and to seeing nail art as a low-risk, high-reward way of wilding out. Especially when it comes in the form of the press-on nail, that humble product once relegated to drugstore shelves, and now itself in the midst of a renaissance. New brands such as Facile and ManiMe offer reusable, natural-looking press-ons in a variety of shapes and designs; meanwhile, L.A.-based Olive & June’s recently launched The Instant Mani kit —a cheap thrill at $10 a pack—comes with 42 tips in a broad array of sizes. For a newbie like me, Olive & June’s almond-shape, French mani–style press-ons are a nice solution—pop ’em on, and see whether long nails work for your lifestyle. They did not work for mine, at least not at first. Tying my shoelaces before a run was immediately difficult; typing, a total no-go. “You get used to them!” Bellizzi insists, after I finally work up the courage to slide into her DMs and ask for tips. “I swear, at this point I don’t even know how to use my phone if I don’t have my nails on,” she says.

FLOWER POWER Hadid wears a Chanel dress and earring; Chanel select boutiques. Rings from Anabela Chan, Munnu The Gem Palace, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Irene Neuwirth.

On Bellizzi’s recommendation, I made my way to see her friend and favorite nail artist, Natalie Pavloski , the day after the biggest blizzard to hit New York City in years. As I scaled a snowbank in Brooklyn on the way to Pavloski’s out-of-the-way studio in Greenpoint, it occurred to me that nail art does require a great deal more commitment than just darting into the corner spa when a free half hour presents itself: Gels may speed up the process, but a good nail-art mani takes time. I spent about three hours with Pavloski, a petite, punkish Australian, chitchatting about art and the excellent and totally obscure ’90s indie music on her soundtrack as she soaked off my press-ons and (gently) drilled my cuticles down to invisibility. The chitchat was important: It helped Pavloski find my own nail spirit. If the whole point of the exercise is to self-express, we agreed that my way of doing so would be to keep my nails short, and the art, to a degree, minimal. Ultimately, we devised a tonal design—matte black with smears of shine, plus one black-smudged fluorescent green nail inspired by a Warhol screen print. Pretentious? Maybe. But c’est moi . I was delighted by the result—and by the collaborative, creative experience. Before I trudged back out into the cold, Pavloski and I were already researching my next set: gels inspired by Rothko color-field paintings we dialed up on our phones.

The internet, of course, is the real game changer here, giving artists like Pavloski, Macmillan, Honey, and Kawajiri the opportunity to share their work with a global audience, while offering a global fan community a place to congregate and—ultimately—grow. “Nail art is a great ritual for every kind of person,” notes Vanity Projects founder Rita de Alencar Pinto, a 46-year-old curator who launched her salon-meets-gallery concept in 2008 with pop-ups spotlighting international nail artists in residence. Vanity Projects has since put down roots at flagships in New York and Miami, but the emphasis is still on the art: Pinto sees nails as a platform for mixed-media artists who happen to work on a very small canvas, and she’s a vigorous booster for nail art as a means of bringing a bit of the extraordinary into everyone’s lives. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what size you are—if you need a pick-me-up, you get your nails done,” she says, going on to note that a one-of-a-kind art nail can be particularly elevating. “Even if you’re stuck in the house, wearing sweats, you can still glance at your nails and feel like, Okay, but I’ve got something special here. I’ve got something that makes me feel good.” 

Givenchy Kenny mini silk top handle bag

Glamnetic Stardust press-on nails

Facile Nails Daisy Me Rollin press-on nails

FACILE NAILS

Anabela Chan blush rose flower ring

Dior micro Lady Dior bag

YoYoee coffin press-on nails

Kiss Whole New World gel fantasy nails

Messika Move Uno multi-pendant earrings

Versace Medusa Head mini bag

Press On Your Beauty olive green press-on nails

In this story: hair, Evanie Frausto; makeup, Raisa Flowers; manicures, Sylvie Macmillan, Mei Kawajiri, Natalie Pavloski, and Arlene Hinckson for CND.

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Design — 5 Easy DIY Nail Art Designs

5 Easy Diy Nail Art Designs

• Categories: Beauty Design

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Words: 485 |

Published: Nov 19, 2018

Words: 485 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

• French Nail Art
• Nail Art Decals and Stickers
• Stencil Nail Art
• Water Marble Nail Art Technique
• Taping Nail Art

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The Easy Nail Art for Beginners Guide

Welcome to my Fun Guide to Easy Nail Art Designs for Beginners. Are you interested in doing Nail art yourself and don’t know how to begin?

This guide is a perfect start to getting into Nail Art.

What is Nail Art?

Are you thinking of a bunch of construction nails clustered together? Or nails forming pictures and collages? If so, you would be very wrong, unfortunately. Well, in a matter of speaking, at least. In fact, we need you to think much smaller. While thinking about nail designs, look down at your hands and feet.

Now that I have got you staring, looking for a sign, did you notice your fingernails and toenails? Boring right? The most important thing this guide will teach you is some easy nail art ideas to spice things up.

Nail art is the spice you add to those nails with a little (or a lot) of decorating. It’s so fun getting a manicure that suits your personality or the season. In fact, it’s an out-of-the-box tradition.

You can see women of all ages – be it five or eighty-two – rocking their nail art. As a matter of fact, some women prefer subtle, plain colors for nail art ideas.

For example, we can look at Queen Elizabeth’s famous preference for ‘Ballet Slippers.’ Others prefer bold red or youthful sparkles. In contrast, some others would go for something trendy, like galaxy nails or ombre nails. In either case, different shades of one color are always a good choice for an understated, polished take on nail art. 

Yet, nail art is not limited only to the color of the nails. On the contrary, you can wear your nails long or short.

Nails are also cut into countless shapes, all according to the wearer’s preference. But, custom ideas with a high-end look are what we’re always after. It’s important to realize that everyone’s style is different.

Are you looking for a new Hobby? You might like our Beginner Guides for:

• Resin Art For Beginners
• Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking
• Bookbinding Beginners Guide
• Or check our Big List of Creative Hobbies

Some of the more common shapes people love are:

Almond , where you cut and file the nails into, you guessed it, the shape of an almond.

Stiletto nails are those pointed, claw-shaped nails. They look like the heels of some gorgeous stiletto shoes.

There’s the square shape , where you cut the nails into a uniform square.

But if the square is too basic for you, you can also try the coffin, which is a square with a bit more dimension.

Recently there has been a new trend where people have been getting a lipstick shape . I would describe that shape as ‘interesting’ but, to each his own.

Like makeup, nail art is, in essence, a creative means to express yourself. Nail art thus becomes a way of showing off your mood, sense of style, and much more.

In fact, your nail art ideas can tell quite a bit about you and who you are. Your nails have a voice. Moreover, you can find that voice right here in this nail art guide. Loving the ideas we’ve shown you so far? Read on to find out more!

What Do You Need for Nail Art?

Well, nails! But to elaborate more, it would depend on what you want to achieve with your nail art.

Accordingly, this guide can show you easy nail art ideas for short nails and long nails too. So, the basic list of essential nail art kits for beginners should include:

• Nail polish
• Paint brushes (of different thicknesses)
• Dotting tool
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton swabs
• Clear top coat
• Nail clippers
• Scotch tape
• Manicure tweezers
• Nail polish correcting pen
• Plastic sheet

These nail art tools should suffice for beginners. Here is a direct link to add all these to your shopping cart. Try these out before attempting the more intricate designs.

Perfect Hobby For You:

• Paper Quilling
• Jewelry Making
• Scrapbooking
• Soap Carving
• Paper Mache

You need some more tools depending on the exact type of nail art ideas you would like to do. For instance, if you are trying to achieve a matte effect, you must use a matte topcoat. We’ll also show you a plastic wrap technique to add texture to the nails.

Having different shades to start your easy nail art journey would also be helpful. In fact, you can get all these colors from Amazon. Choose from: 

• Red nail polish  
• Yellow nail polish  
• Pink nail polish
• Purple nail polish  
• White nail polish  
• Black nail polish
• Blue nail polish
• Orange nail polish
• Nude nail polish  
• Green nail polish  
• Clear nail polish
• Sparkly nail polish.

Bright colors are having a moment unless you go for a minimal design. In fact, you can start with one and follow up with the other colour on the next nail.

Also, never forget your toes. Often when people think about nail art, they think only about fingernails. Lucky for you, I can tell you how to achieve easy nail art designs for beginners. It’s equally important that you know white nail paint for toes is a thing right now. But, you need to know each white nail polish step before you start.

Luckily, you will not need any special tools for toenail art. As a matter of fact, what you have for your fingers will work fine for these simple nail art designs.

Basically, anyone can do nail art; you do not need a master’s degree to have bomb nails.

9 Easy Nail Art Tips Before You Start

1. you need to begin the process with clean nails..

Before doing any nail art, ensure that the first thing you do is wash your hands.

To enhance your results, use this hack. Firstly, soak your nails in water with a hint of white vinegar for two minutes to deep clean your nails. It will also make your nail designs last longer.

2. Using nail clippers and a nail file, you next need to shape your nails.

Below is a chart of different nail shapes you can try. Cut your nails to the form that you think will fit you best.

3. Push your cuticles back, and cut any dead skin.

This step is the extra push you need to achieve salon-quality yet easy nail art that certainly lasts way longer.

4. Next, we alter the texture of the nail bed by buffing it.

The change in texture chiefly gives the nail polish something to grip.

Furthermore, this hack will keep your nail art looking great for longer. Be careful with this step. We do not want you to over-buff your nails.

5. Gently dab a bit of petroleum jelly around the cuticles and the tip of your fingers.

This way, it will be easier to clean up any mistakes you may make while you paint your fingers.

6. When filing your nails, ensure that you go only in one direction and not in an eraser motion.

The constant back and forth motion can cause fissures to form. Though they are minute, over time, they grow.

By the same token, they cause the tips of your nails to peel, taking your nail art design with them.

7. Dip your hands in cold water for 2-3 minutes before you begin painting.

Surprisingly, this step reduces drying time for your nail art as it aids the nail paint in oxidizing from the inside out.

8. Using a lint-free paper towel and some rubbing alcohol, clean the nail bed one last time.

This step is especially important as it gets rid of any impurities that may ruin your artwork.

If you do not find rubbing alcohol handy, you can substitute it with acetone or nail polish remover.

9. Apply a base coat to protect the nail from stains. Some base coats act as hardeners.

They also protect against the damage incurred during the preparation process.

Nail Art Kits for Beginners.

Another key point is, that depending on the desired nail art design, you may need different tools.

Lucky for you, there’s no need to sign up or search anywhere. You can get all the nail art tools you need for the following designs using the links provided!

We recommend getting the Basic Nail Kit as well as any other fun kit you may want to try out. At least, the Basic Nail Kit comes with all the essentials needed for killer nails.

Basic Nail Kit

• Nail polish bottles (in the desired color)
• Wooden cuticle pusher
• Base coat (white base or clear)
• Glossy clear polish topcoat

Party Dots Kit

• Nail color number 1
• Nail color number 2

Bright Bolts Kit

• Lightning Bolt decals

Matte Effect Kit

• Matte Topcoat
• Matte nail polish

Pastel Tips Kit

• Pastel color number
• Thin nail art brush
• Nail tape/scotch tape

Smiley Face Nails Kit

• Smiley face decals
• Thin paint brush

Little Hearts Kit

Pretty leaves kit.

• Leaf decals

Classic Polka Dots Kit

Colorful splash kit.

• Nail color number 3
• Nail color number 4
• Marbling container

Golden Stripes Kit

• Gold nail polish
• Stripe decals

Black and White Kit

• White nail polish

Sprinkle of Glitter Kit

· Nail color number 1

· Sparking nail polish

7 Easy Nail Art Designs for Beginners

Read on for a step-by-step tutorial on achieving some super fun, super easy nail art designs on your own.

They go from the basic to the French-like manicure with pastel colors. To clarify, each of these designs is for beginners.

You don’t need a master’s degree for these nail designs! They’ll go great with most makeup looks, creating a stunning effect. 

1. The Basic Nail

Achieving the basic nail is relatively easy. You must also use this simple technique to make a base for many other easy nail art designs.

• First, work on a clean surface to prep the nail and apply the base coat. Apply a thin layer of your chosen nail color.
• Apply nail paint in one direction, moving from the cuticle to the tip.
• Seal the tip by painting across its perimeter once you cover the entire nail.
• Repeat these steps with every finger.
• Repaint each fingernail once the first layer cures. Remember to seal the tips.
• Brush on some clear nail polish and seal the tips.
• Allow at least six hours for nails to dry completely.

There you have it! A Basic Nail manicure.

2. The Matte Effect

• Begin by prepping the nails as explained above.
• Additionally, after applying the base coat, choose your desired nail color, and use a thin layer of the paint.
• Here’s another hack: you can start with a dark stain on the little finger and follow it with lighter shades on the other ones.
• While waiting for the first nail to cure, you can apply that first thin layer to each of the other fingers.
• Once the nail polish cures, apply another coat of paint to each nail.
• Remember to seal your tips as you go along.
• Finally, apply a mattifying clear polish topcoat to the nails. Seal the tips and allow the nails to dry completely for about six hours.

And there you have it! Super cute, super easy, matte nail art on your fingernails.

3. Pastel Tips Nail Art Design 

This design is like a French manicure. You will love this beautiful nail art design if minimalism is generally your style and pastels are your jam.

As explained above, we begin by prepping the nails. Once you’ve completed this and applied the base coat of nail polish, we can move on to step two.

Step two:  Apply two coats of nail polish (of your desired color) to each finger and allow it to dry. Remember to seal your tips.

Select a pastel-colored nail paint you would like to use.

Create the tip effect using a very thin paint brush. Dip your brush into the nail polish and then place it on the tip of your nail.

Drag the paint brush from one corner of your nail to the other, along the path of the tip. Use only the width of the paint brush.

Fill in any gaps between the line created and the edge of the tip.

Allow the Pastel Tip to cure, and then apply a coat of clear nail polish to set.

4. Classic Polka Dots

Choose a few colors to create a bunch of different-sized dots all around the nails. Remember that overlap coupled with variation is part of the fun here.

Begin by ensuring you have prepped your nails as specified above.

Once you have applied the base coat, you can choose a nail color.

Apply two coats of polish to your finger, then seal the tips.

Dip it into the nail polish using the dotting tool and gently tap a dot wherever desired on the nail. A thin nail art brush is the perfect tool for this step.

Create the dots randomly, or structure them until you’re satisfied with the number of dots.

Do the same to the remaining nails.

After the dots have cured, apply a clear polish glossy topcoat. Step back and admire your easy and undeniably beautiful classic polka dot nails.

Suggestion:  You can do large and small polka dots using alternating colors. For example, make dots on all your nails using:

• Pink nail polish 
• Gold nail polish 
• Peach nail polish
• Green nail polish
• Blue nail polish 
• White nail polish 

Or, you can create negative space using clear nail polish as your base. Use either white nail polish or black nail polish for your dots. Finish with a top coat, and voila! This design will make you look like you’ve stepped out of the nail salon.

5. Little Hearts Nails

Little hearts are easy to create, and they will obviously get your hands lots of attention.

Prep your nails in detail as explained above and apply the base coat. Select the color that you would like for your nail art design.

Apply two coats to the nail and seal the tip.

Once the polish has cured, use the dotting tool, and dip it into the nail polish color that you would like your heart to be. Create two dots near to each other but do not let them touch.

Next, take a thin paintbrush and create a diagonal line from the outer edge of one dot. Move it towards the space separating the two dots and stop at the midpoint of that space.

Do the same with the other dot, in the opposite direction. Let these two new lines meet at the intersection and form the letter ‘v.’

Fill in the space and connect the two dots with a subtle ‘v’ at the top.

Repeat as many times as desired.

Allow the hearts to cure and finish the nail with a clear glossy top coat.

Repeat this technique on your remaining fingernails.

Pink nail polish works well for this look. You can also make some of the hearts using blue nail polish (or any other color you like). Finish the look with a clear coat and a bit of glitter.

6. Golden Stripes

You can use gold nail polish and any other color to create a stunning look.

• First, prep the nails as instructed above and apply a base coat.
• Next, select a nail color. Use something that will complement the golden stripes, but the choice is yours.
• Apply two coats, and seal the tip of the nail.
• Let the second coat cure.
• Cut the scotch tape into pieces and place them in vertical or horizontal lines over your nails. Leave spaces between them that are the same width as the tape. What’s more, if you’re lazy, you can get premade decals from Amazon.com .
• Next, apply a layer of gold nail polish over the decals. You can use a second coat if your nail polish is not very opaque.
• Remove the decal or tape strips once the nail polish has had some time to cure.
• Apply clear polish glossy top coat and some glitter. Repeat this nail art design on the remaining fingers.

7. Colourful Splash

The Colorful Splash kit can create some fantastic looks.

First, ensure that you prep your nails, as directed above.

Once you have put on the clear coat as a base, you can begin preparations for a water marble.

Using the marbling container from our ‘Colourful Splash Kit’ and add some water.

Choose the colors you’d like to use for your nail art design: the more colors you choose, the more dynamic your manicure.

Add a drop of nail polish into the water.

Add a second drop of a different color in the center of the first drop.

Now add the third drop of another color again in the center of the current mixture.

Repeat this with as many colors you choose to use and feel free to repeat colors you like.

Using the wooden cuticle pusher , distort the layers of the circle into a shape of your choice. For example, you can create a star, square, or spiral.

Next, dip the prepped nail into the marbling container so the nail polish can wrap around the nail.

Remove the finger and clean up around the cuticle.

Afterward, apply your clear topcoat, and repeat these steps for the remaining nails.

Try one or two of these art ideas. For instance, you can brush on one shade or even two shades to make your magic. In addition, basic designs like three dots or glitter are well within your reach.

For one thing, your tools are simple: scotch tape cut in varying sizes, a brush, and decals are all you need for your art ideas. Always remember the clear polish step to finish your look.

For further art ideas, take a look at the tutorials below. There’s no need to search in detail for YouTube tutorials: we’ve covered you. By all means, look at them to avoid the common manicure mistakes that people tend to make.

Nail Art Tutorial Videos for Beginners

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39 Easy Nail Designs Even Beginners Can Do at Home

Evelyn Lim is a nail expert with more than 18 years of experience. She currently serves as the chief educator of Paintbox, a top nail studio in NYC.

@ imarninails / Instagram

Don't get us wrong, we love getting our nail designs at the salon, but sometimes the budget or time doesn't allow for it. But luckily for those moments, there are plenty of easy nail art designs that are so simple to recreate at home. Yes, even if you're a beginner.

Trust. You don't need to have a steady hand or be a talented nail artist to take your manicure to the next level. Simple lines, dots, and nail stickers make the process extremely easy—it's just about knowing what type of design you want to recreate.

To help you narrow down your options, we found 39 nail designs that are incredibly easy to do at home. From micro French tips and mismatched nails to funky stickers and squiggly lines. Plus, tips and tricks straight from three nail professionals. Keep scrolling for more.

Meet the Expert

• Jordan Meade is a professional nail artist with on-demand beauty service Glamsquad .
• Amy Oung is a SpaRitual and ORLY nail artist.
• Tammy Taylor is a professional nail artist and business owner with more than three decades in the industry.

@nailsinc / Instagram

This look offers "minimal effort but maximum design," says Jordan Meade, a nail artist for Glamsquad. "Like art on your nails, this abstract line design gives a simple yet alluring effect." Meade offers the following tips: "Apply a thin base coat using a light polish and cure for 60 seconds. Take a fine detail brush and color of choice to draw random, freestyled swirl lines that vary in thickness. Remember art is subjective, not perfect."

White Stripes

@jinsoon / Instagram

In this case, less is more. We love the simplicity of these neutral nails with a thin white stripe down the middle. "Do one to two coats of any nude/neutral color for the base," instructs nail artist, Amy Oung. "Once it is dry, use a striping brush and apply a vertical thin line with a nice white . Apply gloss (SpaRitual Nourish Fast Dry Vegan Top Coat , $20) to lock in the design."

Statement Star

@oliveandjune / Instagram

Who doesn't love a classic red manicure ? Take it up a notch with a simple star accent on the ring finger. Pick up this 10-Piece Nail Art Brush Set ($9), or any similar set, to achieve stars and many other details you'll find in this roundup.

Shimmering Tips

@paintboxnails / Instagram

Play up bare nails with a swipe of gold at the tips. Try a chunky metallic shade like L'Oréal's Colour Riche Nail ($6) in Gold Dust. Pair with gold jewelry to really make a statement.

Pastel Mismatch

We love a good pastel nail vibe and having multiple shade options is even better. Mirror the color order on each hand for a polished nail art look that doesn't require any tricky precision. 

Golden Stripes

This nail art is almost too easy. It features stripes over top half-painted nails, providing inspiration for a way to make your mani last longer as it grows out. "If you've mastered #02, you're on your way to this design," says Oung.

• "Do one coat of clear on the nail."
• "Once it's dried, use an opaque pastel bright (SpaRitual Nourishing Vegan Color , $14, in Poetry in Motion) and paint halfway down the nail. To achieve this, take a light amount of product on the brush and fan it where you want the color to be on the nail. With the Nourishing brush, it is curved to create that moon shape. Brush down evenly on the nail. Repeat a second coat if necessary."
• "Once it is dry, use a striping brush and paint a thin vertical line down the center of the nail using a metallic color." (We like FingerPaints's  Striping Polish , $4, in Brushstroke of Bril).
• "Once dry, lock the design in with a clear coat."

Starry Details

If you want to rock some nail art but don't have the steadiest of hands, we've got a solution: nail stickers. Olive & June's Nail Art Stickers ($7.50) make for a unique and easy mani. It's safe to say we're impressed. 

Gilded Half Moons

Teal and metallic gold collide in this chic design. To recreate, "Paint two coats of an opaque teal color," says Oung. "After it is dry, use a long detailer brush and paint a half moon around the cuticle area with a metallic color. Start with a small dot in the middle with the metallic color (the base of the U of the moon) and a dot on each side of where the moon will end (the 'smile' of the U). Connect the dots with the detailer brush, and fill in the rest of the moon. Allow to dry. Apply [a fast-drying top coat ] to lock in the design."

Rather than paint your half-moon design, an alternative would be to use French Manicure sticker guides ($6) from Orly and apply them to the nail as a stencil, says Oung. Once the teal color is dry, place the sticker on the nail. "Use the metallic color and fill in where the moon would be. Wait for it to dry and then lift the sticker. Apply a thin coat of clear," instructs Oung.

You've probably seen polka-dot nails before, but this one adds another layer of fun. Pick a few colors to create a bunch of tiny dots all around bare nails—variation and overlap are all part of the fun here. To replicate this look, nail artist, Tammy Taylor, suggests first applying Flawless Foundation Gel Base Coat ($32) and allowing it to cure before adding designs. "Using the Tammy Taylor Dotting Tool ($8), New Flame Gelegance Gel Polish ($23), and Fresh n Fruity Gelegance Gel Polish ($23), create a dotted smile line in the middle of the nail, alternating colors," she adds. "Repeat this process by filling in gaps down the nail. Cure."

Colorful Lines

The colored stripes make this neutral mani fun and interesting while remaining simple enough for both execution purposes and more conservative settings. Nail stripe stickers can make achieving this look even easier. For more interesting shapes, like curves or lines, Taylor suggests using her eponymous Striper Brush ($22).

Graphic Neon

The impact of this manicure far outweighs the time it takes to achieve it. No metallic or neon color combo is off limits with this simple, chic style. To make this mani—or any mani—last, "Always use a top coat!" emphasizes Oung.

Canary Yellow

The contrast between the yellow base and blue dots makes this look from Paintbox pop. These dots are 3D, but a contrasting polish will also provide a bold impact if you're not looking to shop for extra baubles.

Two-Tone Purple

@chillhouse / Instagram

Purple on purple totally works here. Different shades of the same tone are always a good choice for a polished, understated take on nail art. Try OPI Infinite Shine 2 Long-Sear Lacquer ($14) in Do You Lilac It? as the base and Nature Strong Natural Original Lacquer ($13) in A Great Fig World for the stripe.

An easy nail art hack? You can use a toothpick to create different-sized dots like the ones in this  Chillhouse manicure. Taylor says to apply a product like Glass Slipper Gel Top Coat ($32) over the finished design and allow it to dry.

Sprinkle of Glitter

Get this sparkly yet understated look by using a sponge to press on glitter from the lower left corner, tapering into nothing. Set with a clear coat and bam —instant party nail art.

Diagonal Periwinkle

The unique color combo is what drew us to this two-toned nail design, and achieving the look is as simple as letting your first shade set, then applying the second diagonally across half the nail. Oung says to first apply one to two coats of nude/neutral color, and once dry, to use a striping brush and paint a diagonal halfway across the nail with a periwinkle color. The baby blue here reminds us of Essie's Bikini So Teeny ($8). "Fill in the rest with one or two coats with either the polish brush," she says. "For more control, use a long detailer brush. Lock the design in with a clear coat."

A Sleek Swoop

Shift your French tip to the corner of your nail for a modern take on the classic manicure. Stick with a pastel shade or go bolder with bright rainbow hues. "A base coat is optional with this design since all the flare is at the tip," notes Meade. "Choose five different colors–one for each nail, and use the polish brush to create a curved slope starting at the corner of your nail. Keep some acetone handy to clean up the curved line with another brush. Just like that, a pop of color is all you need to stand out."

Graphic Black and White

If you're not a fan of bright colors on your nails, this easy nail art idea is a stunning choice. We love how the thin black stripe adds dimension to the white base, creating a design that's super versatile. 

Metallic Pyramids

@nailtherapy.co / Instagram

You may be familiar with half-moon cuticles, but what about these snazzy pyramids instead? Oung's tip for nailing the look: "Always wait for the base color to dry before painting the top designs."

Geometric Accents

This simple pastel mani got a major upgrade. Add a triangle of tonal foil to your go-to nail polish shade to emulate this beautiful style. Nothing more, nothing less.

Bling Fingers

@nailpromagazine / Instagram

Bejewel your nails for a minimum-effort, maximum-impact design. Grab some sparklers and get to gluing. Long coffin nails make a great canvas to go wild with jewels but this look can also be adapted to shorter nails .

Duo-Tone Blush

We're totally here for this twist on the two-tone manicure. Each nail is a little bit different, which keeps things interesting. To feign a salon mani at home, make sure to take care of your nail brush. "If any of the design brushes stiffen from the nail polish, swish it around in pure acetone and clean the brush with either a lint-free wipe or lint-free paper towel and resume with the designing," comments Oung. 

Nail Wave Nouveau

Throw in a curve to give a half-and-half mani a playful twist. Stick to all one shade as a base, or skip it in favor of a clear base coat for a negative-space moment that will make everyone positively jealous.

Negative-Space Stunners

If you want to rock a head-turning manicure but don't have the patience to sit and paint all your nails, consider this black and white half-and-half mani that confines the color to just two nails. Recreate the look using striping tape to trace clean lines for your base color, then finish with dots of contrasting black or white polish.

Confetti Party

We've shown you plenty of variations on this theme, but there's still room for a classic polka dot pattern in your easy nail art arsenal. If you look closely, these delicate dots are actually specks from a confetti polish—all the better to make a fun look even easier.

Yayoi Kusama-Inspired

Your nails can look like an actual piece of Yayoi Kusama's modern art with minimal effort. Simply start with a bright, dandelion-yellow base, then finish with black dots in varying sizes—no need to stress about uniformity here.

Embellished French Tips

@opi / Instagram

Here's another option for all the French manicure lovers out there. Adorn the center of the nail with whatever design you want. The witchy decals in this mani are making us long for Halloween all year long .

Blue Gradient

If you're not one to get crafty with intricate nail art ideas but still crave an eye-catching design, check out this gradient option. With a different blue shade on each nail, it's a dreamy contrast we can't stop staring at. If you're not sure which shades of blue will pair well together, ask your nail technician.

'90s Daisies

Daisies are giving us serious mid-'90s, Clueless vibes and your nails will be the envy of everyone you flash with the "Whatever" hands. This example uses a barely there polish and bejeweled nail stickers, but you can go as simple or complex as you want and still be sure the flowers will shine.

Smilie Faces

Add a boost of joy to your solid mani with some easy nail art that smiles back. The eyes on this design are purposefully squiggly, so there's no need to worry about a perfectly straight application.

Chevron Tips

@heluviee / Instagram

These chevron tips look far more complicated than they are. All you need are two diagonal swipes of polish at the tip and you're out the door. (Don't forget to set with a top coat.) We personally love the preppy green and white combo here, but you can mix and match to your heart's content.

Red Velvet French

@saruhnails / Instagram

Now this is a rich take on the classic French manicure. The matte base creates an unexpected finish while the glossy, matching tips really up the ante.

Heart-Shaped Tips

@imarninails / Instagram

Romance is in the air with these sweet tips. The unexpected color combo freshens up the vibe while the sheer base keeps things minimal.

Graphic Edge

@nailsbysuman / Instagram

Sporty, square-shaped nails look incredibly sleek with a subtle graphic design. The pale pink base creates the perfect canvas for the ever-so-slight black border to each nail edge.

Evil Eye Manicure

Protect your energy with this delicate DIY nail design. A barely there base keeps the look clean while layered white and blue dots build the perfect evil eye art.

Stand-Out Nails

To create a look similar to this neutral-lover's dream, simply paint on an opaque nude shade as your base, apply a nail art sticker, and then seal it in with a clear topcoat.

Metallic Lines

@paintboxnails

Step up your simple pink mani by drawing a metallic line right down the middle.

Black & White

@betina_goldstein

We love inverted, mismatched manis, especially when they're somewhat uniform. Paint your base color, then add either a French tip or a "U" shape at the cuticle in the opposite shade, and finish by adding a dot.

Diagonal French

A diagonal French is a perfect take on the classic look. We love how much of an impact the black tip can have, and the simple addition of a tiny metallic sticker takes the look to the next level with minimum effort.

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Why I’m Dedicating My Nail Art to Kobe Bryant

By Audrey Noble

The only thing that rivals my love for beauty is my love for Kobe Bryant . I've never met him in person, but my favorite memory of him is a perfect illustration of just how special he was to me and to Los Angeles. I was 18, watching game seven of the 2010 finals against the Celtics with my parents. We were eating at a restaurant situated in the middle of the Beverly Center mall that shoppers on all three stories of the shopping center could easily look into. The game was playing on a big TV over the bar, with no sound on as the noise of the crowds shopping would drown it out anyway. The first quarter was a bad start for the Lakers, with them missing plenty of easy shots and layups. The second quarter was even worse, and the Celtics ended the first half in the lead by six.

But then, in the third quarter, everything changed. Suddenly, the Lakers were making their shots and everything was just in sync. As the game progressed, the bartenders turned on the sound and slowly the crowd outside the restaurant grew. People came out of shops and stopped what they were doing to watch. By the fourth quarter, the entire mall was quiet except for the announcers on the TV, and all three stories were filled with hundreds of people just watching. When Kobe grabbed the ball in the last seconds of the fourth quarter at the Staples Center for what would be the team's title win, the entire mall erupted into screams and cheers. It was electrifying.

The Lakers — and Kobe — are intrinsic to the DNA of being born and raised in Los Angeles. I bleed purple and gold. He's the reason why I love basketball and sports, in general. When news broke that he, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, tragically died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26, I cried for a full 24 hours. Never has a celebrity death affected me so much.

It's more than his illustrious basketball career (which includes five national championships and two Olympic gold medals, along with the fact that he's an 18-time All-Star) that made him special to me and so many people. Yes, he was also a huge proponent of the WNBA and went to games often knowing his high-profile status would bring attention to a sport that gets overshadowed by the male league. It's also true that he was thriving in retirement, and clearly so happy to be a father of four young girls. And while it's true that he was no saint — I'm not here to canonize him — all of this adds to what makes his death so tragic. There is no right way to grieve someone, especially someone as complicated as Kobe.

It's hard to find a silver lining, but if I had to dig deep enough, I find comfort in that the fact that there is a sense of community in grief. To be a Laker fan means you're part of a family. In a world where so many things are divisive, this seems to be one of the few things uniting so many people together.

Never did I think I could mesh my love for beauty and Kobe together, but after his passing, I found myself saving beautiful nail art dedications to him on my Instagram. Sports, a lot like beauty, transcend any box you might want to put them in. That said, here are some of the best nail art dedications that show just that.

Back to Basics

The manicure event I attended didn't have the purple and gold I was looking for, so I improvised. I chose a light pale lilac color to paint my nails and and a co-worker wrote 24 on my ring finger.

Most Memorable Laker  

In his 20 years as a Los Angeles Laker, Kobe donned two jersey numbers: 24 and 8. Many fans, like @fleuryrosenails on Instagram, painted those two numbers on their nails. Here, we see the numbers etched in purple against a yellow background.

Purple & Gold  

You don't need to go all out and paint 8 and 24 all over your nails to pay tribute to Kobe. Associate director of social media Danielle Odiamar wears a gold metallic with an burnt orange tint shade on all her nails and accessorizes with a large amethyst ring to replicate Laker colors.

Mamba Mentality  

Kobe wore the number 24 in high school before being drafted to the NBA. Instagram user @toni_did_it highlighted that number, along with an orange basketball decal against a purple and white background.

By Jennifer Hussein

By Annie Blay

By Angela Trakoshis

All In the Details

The tiny basketball decal colored in gold glitter against a bare nail from @thehangedit is every minimalist's dream. It's subtle enough that it doesn't bring too much attention to your nails, but once it catches your eye, you can't help but stare in appreciation.

Pretty Pastels  

The Lakers' two most popular jersey colors are gold and purple. Instagram user @nailartbyjen took the pastel versions of the team's colors as the backdrop for the nail look. Purple nails got jeweled embellishments, while the yellow donned both of Kobe's numbers.

Marble Nails  

At the start of the 2006 to 2007 season, Kobe changed his jersey number from eight to 24; he told ESPN it signified a new start. Associate social media manager Sabrina Chatlani opted to write the number 24 on her ring finger and wore a marbled art on the rest of her nails.

Kobe wore the number eight for the first half of his basketball career, a number he wore while playing sports in Italy and as an ode to the number he wore at the Adidas ABCD Camp. Here on @fashionbymipa, that number eight, along with his name spelled out, is written in gold glitter against a purple background.

By Michelle Rostamian

By Jihan Forbes

12 Earthy & Luxe Nail Art Designs For Taurus Season 2024

Spoiler: lots of emerald green manicures ahead.

On April 20, the fiery energy of Aries is officially replaced with the cozy vibes of Taurus SZN , and the earth sign with continue to reign through May 20.

While Aries signs are fueled by their passion, Taureans are known to be down-to-earth — and a little bit stubborn, too (the sign is depicted by a bull). Those with Taurus placements find strength in their innate tenacity and loyalty .

Ruled by the planet Venus — which is associated with love and beauty — those born throughout the springtime month have an affinity for the luxurious. A few famed Taureans include: Megan Fox, Gigi Hadid, Jessica Alba, Robert Pattinson, Audrey Hepburn, and Gal Gadot.

When it comes to nail polish colors, the earthy sign tends to lean towards shades like rich emerald green, deep chocolate brown, with a pop of pretty pastel pink here and there. As for nail art, luxe crocodile print and gilded details are a total win for this luxe-loving sign.

Celebrate Taurus season with a fresh mani moment inspired by the resilient sign.

Green Chrome Constellations

ICYWW, for the spring of 2024, green chrome nails are *it .* This mid-tone color is met with subtle star designs and rhinestone studs for a play on the constellation motif.

Luxe Gold Marbling

Taureans enjoy a bit — ok, a lot — of opulence in their life and what’s more luxe than a crisp, white marbled manicure? This set just so happens to be adorned with a Taurus symbol, too.

Cozy Caramel Swirls

Creatures of comfort, Taureans are often attracted to cozy color palettes. These caramel-colored swirls are like a warm latte on a chilly springtime morning.

3D Fairycore Nail Art

Taurus season always falls in the middle of spring, making this OTT flower-filled fairycore set a perfect match.

Bronze Micro French Tips

If you find that you’re more of a manicure minimalist, but still want to embrace your earth sign placement, try micro French tips in bronze.

Fade-Out French Nails

While the tips of these almond-shaped French nails are a traditional white, the neutral base features an ombré effect that feels fun and fresh.

Pale Pink Crocodile Tips

While green and brown polishes are very much associated with the zodiac sign, pale pink is another color that screams “Taurus.” Add luxurious croc print details to your Frenchies for an unexpected mani moment that just works .

Green Aura Art

Aura nails are beloved by Megan Fox — who so happens to be a Taurus queen — making this earthy, green-on-green art A-list approved.

Gilded Celestial Stickers

Take your understated “mannequin manicure” to new heights with gilded nail stickers that feature stars, planets, and symbols of the various signs in your chart.

Emerald Chrome

Elevate a traditional set of French tip nails by trading in stark white polish for a chromatic green color.

Warm-Toned Skittle Manicure

“Skittle nails” are manis with a different polish color painted on every single tip. This warm-toned color palette gives big Taurus energy for sure.

Glitzy Taurus Gemstones

For those whose sun sign is Taurus, wear your sign loud and proud. Adorn matte tips of any length in gold lettering — plus, a few sparkles, for obvious reasons.